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Friday, 21 December 2018

How to avoid incontinence as you age

The
comfort of our customers is all important to us at HARTMANN Direct.
Although incontinence is a normal part of the ageing process, it is
never natural, there is always an underlying mechanical reason for
the malfunction. Therefore, we would like to do all we can to help
you avoid the discomfort and potential embarrassment of incontinence
as you age. There are ways that you can look after yourself bladder
and your bowel, and we have collected together all the best advice we
could find.

What
is a healthy bladder and bowel?

Before
we consider how to avoid incontinence, we should tell you what a
healthy bladder and bowel should be doing. You should be urinating
between four and six times per day. Ideally, you shouldn't need to
urinate during the night, but most people need to go once. Our urine
should be a light yellow colour, the same colour as straw. If you
have dark yellow or brown urine, it is a sign of dehydration.

You
should experience bowel movement between three times a day, and at
the other extreme, three times a week. The general rule is that you
should go once a day. Passing faeces should be easy, and the stool
should be soft.

You
should not be experiencing any accidental leaks of urine or faeces.

Drink
lots of fluids

Dehydration
can be the cause of both constipation and irritation of the bladder.
It can make your stools hard and painful to pass, and you might
experience burning as you urinate. Therefore, one way to maintain
good toilet habits as you age is to drink plenty of water. Did you
realise that thirst is a sign of dehydration, so drink regularly
before this happens. You should be aiming to avoid thirst.

You
should drink around two litres of water – or equivalent (which does
not mean tea or coffee). This is the equivalent of about 8 glasses
of water. However, if you are exercising, or it is hot outside, then
you should aim to drink more. Ideally, you will take sips all
through the day, which is why it is essential to carry a bottle of
water with you.

Drinking
tea, coffee and alcohol can lead to increased chance of bladder
infection, so it is best to avoid these if possible.

Eat
lots of fibre

A
high-fibre diet is essential to a healthy bowel. It will keep you
regular and prevent you from having to strain. A poor diet can lead
to constipation, which in turn can lead to faecal incontinence.

Adding
more fibre to your diet couldn't be easier. Eating porridge or
wholegrain cereal for breakfast is an essential start to your day.
You should also use wholemeal rice and pasta, rather than white
grains. If you eat a lot of lentils and beans, this will help too.
Try to avoid too much processed or refined food, which tends to
irritate our digestive system, as well as including a high glycaemic
load, which is bad for weight management.

Eating
fruit is another meaningful way of putting fibre in your diet, and
vegetables. As you age, it is becomes more important to have at
least five different fruit and veg – preferably as many as 10.

If
you do eat a lot of fibre but still suffer from hard stools, it is
likely that you are not drinking enough.

Stay
active

Maintaining
your general health is obviously going to help your bladder and bowel
health. Doing exercise will also preserve muscle strength, which
again is essential for control. Keeping your weight down reduces
pressure on the pelvic floor, and undertaking core exercises
strengthen these areas. All this is a reason to keep yourself
active. If you don't want to break a sweat, you should consider some
yoga. This will work on critical muscles and on your digestion
without the worry that your body cannot cope with the exertion.

As
a female, it is particularly important to maintain a healthy pelvic
floor during and after pregnancy. The exercises you will be given by
the midwife might not seem important at that moment in time, but you
will thank them in thirty years from now.

If
you haven’t exercised for a while, go see a doctor to check your
health before doing anything too extreme. Start gently and build up
your confidence and strength in your body, and help prevent
incontinence at the same time.

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